Automatic guns having a fixed feed mechanism and slidable in a cradle



R. RAMSEYER March 26, 1963 AUTOMATIC GUNS HAVING A FIXED FEED MECHANISM AND SLIDABLE IN A CRADLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March l2, 1959 NGN ATTORNEY March 26, 1963 R. RAMSI-:YER 3,082,667

AUTOMATIC GUNS HAVING A FIXED FEED MECHANISM AND SLIDABLE 1N A CRADLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12. 1959 www GN u. w21 NN @il NN Q @QN www h. m. @S1 P., N hw @N u Sw N\ wk NQN.

.uw w N w N\\ H E. lmlHm WN l l ILWMM! 0 NN -l l l l dll-lill QM.. NN .MH .mv ww Q wm d u arch 26, 1963 R. RAMSEYER 3,082,667

AUTOMATIC GUNS HAVING A FIXED FEED MECHANISM AND SLIDABLE IN A CRADLE Filed March 12. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /NVENTUR p* wv/ ROBERT RAMSEYER o man( L94 N BY ATTORNEY 3,682,667 AUEQMAHC GUNS HAVENG A FIXED FEED MECH@ lSM AND SLIDABLE EN A CRADLE Robert ldarnseyer, Versoix-Geneva, Switzerland, assigner to Brevets Aero-lvlecaniques SA., Geneva, Switzerland Filed Mar. l2, 1959, Ser. No. 79%,035 Claims priority, application Luxembourg Mar. 25, 1958 S Claims. (El. 9-40) The present invention relates to automatic guns, and in particular guns to be mounted in tank turrets, slidable in a cradle and including a buer having a portion fixed to said cradle and a movable portion secured to the breech-casing of the gun, and also a feed mechanism mounted on a carrier fixed to the cradle by a holding means.

The object of the present invention is Lo provide a gun of this type which is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice than those used up to now and in particular which is easily removable from the cradle.

The present invention is essentially characterized by the provision of the same readily detachable means for securingboth the xed butler portion and the holding means to the cradle.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example and in which:

FlG. l is an elevational View with parts in section of an automatic gun to be mounted in the turret of a tank, said gun being made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on the line I-II of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an elevational View, with parts in section on the line ill-lll of FIG. 4, of another embodiment of the present invention;

FlG. 4 is a corresponding view with parts in section on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FiG. 5 is a longitudinal middle section of a removable pivoting element for use in the construction of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FlG. 6 illustrates the structure by which said pivoting element can be removed from the spindle on which it is mounted;

FGS. 7 and 8 show on an enlarged scale in longitudinal section, respectively in two planes at right angles to each other, a modification of a portion of the construction of FIGS. 3 `and 4; and,

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective View of the structure of FlGS. 7 and 8.

The guns shown by the drawings include a breechcasing 2 which is slidable in a cradle 1, said cradle 1 bein,C advantageously movable with an elevatingr and a traversing displacement.

The gun includes essentially a gun barrel (not visible on the drawing), a breech-casing 2 rigid with the rear portion of said gun barrel and a breech block slidable within said breech-casing 2 and therefore hidden by it on the drawings. Breech-casing 2 is provided at the rear with a rear block 3 in which is mounted a buffer spring (not visible) intended to slow down the end of the recoil movement of the sliding breech block ,and subsequently to accelerate the forward movement of said breech block.

A butler is interposed between the breech-casing 2 and cradle 1. This buffer includes a movable portion 4 rigidly secured to said breech-casing 2, a iixed portion (5 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 5t? in FlGS. 3 and 4) connected to cradle 1, resilient return means, such as a spring 6 interposed between said fixed portion and said movable portion 4 so as to exert a force tending to oppose relad? aten'ted lidar., 26, i963 tive movement between said iixed and movable portions during the recoil ofthe gun, and a liquid brake, for 1nstance of the piston type, for retarding the movement of movable portion d.

A feed mechanism such as a magazine (not shown) is mounted in such manner as to be capable of a longitudinal sliding displacement with respect to the breechcasing 2. Said magazine is `fixed in detachable manner on a magazine carrier 8 also slidable with respect to breech-casing 2 and secured to cradle 1 through holding means which will be more explicitly described hereinafter. Thus, the magazine does not recoil with breechcasing Z during tiring.

The above-mentioned holding means include, in the construction shown by all the drawings, a cross-bar 9 detachably iixed to magazine carrier tl and two arms i@ extending parallelly in a spaced-apart relationship from said bar 9. The ends of arms 1li are connected to cradle 1 in a manner which will be hereinafter described and cross-bar 9 is connected to the front wall of a holding projection 3a rigid with the magazine carrier S.

As above stated, according to the present invention, the means for xing to the cradle 1 both the fixed portion of the buffers and the ends of the arms 10 of the magazine carrier holding means are constituted by a single securing device capable of being readily detached and preferably arranged so that it can be easily reached from the inside of the turret in which the gun is mounted.

Thus, in order to remove the gun a single preliminary operation will be necessary to make said securing device inoperative in order to release from cradle ll both the xed portion 5 of the buffer and the arms lo serving to hold the magazine carrier.

Preferably, the securing device above referred to is constituted by a transverse spindle 11.

In the construction of FIGS. 1 and 2, the ends of arms 10 are integral with the fixed portion 5 of the butter so that said arms and said fixed portion include two aligned holes 195 and are connected to cradle l through fixation spindle 1 extending through said aligned holes 161 and also through holes 165 in cradle l'.

The means for locking said spindle 11 consists of a lug lla integral with spindle l1 and capable of passing in .aligned slots 12 provided in the periphery of the holes 191 and 105 through which spindle 11 extends. After this lug has been passed through said slot during the insertion of spindle 11, said spindle 11 is rotated about its axis to obtain the desired locking eilect.

According to the second embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGS. 3 to 6, arms 1t? are independent of the xed portion Sil of the butter and can be detached from the cradle without withdrawing xation spindle 11.

For this purpose, arms 1t) have their end portions lila journalled about fixation spindle 11. Said ends 1tla are provided with holes which are aligned with holes 101 and 195. Cross-bar 9 carries a rotary latch 13 operable by means of a lever 14 and adapted to keep said cross-bar applied against the holding projection tta of magazine carrier 8.

The ixed portion 5d of the buffer includes two lateral annular projections 15 adapted to tit in corresponding housings provided in the inner side walls of the ends 10a of .arms 1li. Said annular projections 15 are each provided with two at faces 15a (FIG. 5). Each of these ends 16a is provided with a slot 16 extending radially 'from the hole 110 of said end 10a, the dimensions of said slots 16 being chosen to permit the passage of the corresponding projection 15 therethrough when arms 1@ are turned about the axis of spindle 11 through an angle so that the walls of radial slots 1o are parallel to the flat faces of projections ida (FIG. 6i). The two radial slots 16 are positioned in such manner that, when holding means 9-10 are in the position shown by FIGS. 3 and 4, dat faces 15a extend transversely to said slots 16 as shown by FIG. 5 and when the holding means are not in active position and have been rotated through a substantial angle (about 90) about the axis of spindle 11 as shown by FIG. 6, said slots 16 extend in a direction parallel to said flat faces 15a. It is then possible to remove the holding means by giving thereto a translatory movement in the direction of arrow F. It will be readily understood that a gun made according to this second embodiment of the invention enables the magazine carrier 8 to be released along with the magazine fixed thereon without withdrawing spindle 11. It is only necessary to rotate the latch 13 from its locking position and to pivot arms 10 about the axis of spindle 111.

When, as shown by FIGS. 3 and 4, the hydraulic brake of the buffer includes a piston 17 mounted in a cylindrical housing 4a filled with oil and provided in the movable portion 4 of the buier, said piston being connected through a rod 18, which is parallel to the axis of the gun, with the fixed portion 5 of said buffer, during the recoil of the gun'the rod 13 might be displaced so as to no longer be parallel to the axis of the gun, Y

In such a case, rod 18 could jam in its guide 19 when it is rigid with the movable portion 4 of the buffer in the embodiment that is being considered.

In order to avoid jamming, freedom lfor displacement should be provided between the guide 19 of rod 18 and the part which supports said guide 19, said part being constituted for instance by a bracket 2U.

For this purpose, I may proceed in the manner illustrated by FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

The guide 19 of rod 1S is rigid with the movable portion 4 of the buffer, piston 17 being slidably secured in said movable portion 4.

Guide 19 and movable portion 4 are connected through bracket 2t) to the gun proper, for instance to the casing of the rear block. The external Wall of guide 19 carries two abutment sectors 22 which are intended to engage with slight radial play in corresponding recesses 20a provided in bracket 20.

In the two intervals between said sectors 22 are two complementary sectors 23 having the same radial play as abutment'sectors 22 and each including a central projection 23a adapted to engage in a corresponding housing 24 provided in bracket 20, said complementary sectors being kept in position by spring 6.

With such an arrangement, the slight radial play above referred to permits limited misalignments between the gun axis and rod 18.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to -be practical and efficient embodiments of my invention, it `should -be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

l. In combination, a cradle, an automatic gun having a breech casing slidable longitudinally in said cradle, a buffer including a fixed portion to be mounted on said cradle and a movable portion to be secured to said breech casing, .a feed mechanism carrier, holding means for fixing said carrier with respect to said cradle, said cradle, said butter fixed portion and said holding means being provided with aligned holes, a spindle for engagement in and easy withdrawal from said holes, and means for locking said spindle in engaged position in said holes- 2. A combination according to claim l in which said locking means include a transverse projection at the end of said spindle, said holes being provided with notches to accommodate said projection.

3. In combination, a cradle, an automatic gun having a breech casing slidable longitudinally in said cradle, a :buffer including a fixed portion to be mounted on said cradle and a movable portion to be secured to said breech casing, a feed mechanism carrier, holding means for con.

necting said carrier with said cradle, said holding means including a cross bar adapted to be secured to said carrier and two parallel arms extending rearwardly from the ends of said cross bar, and readily detachable means for securing both said buffer fixed portion and the rear ends of said arms to said cradle.

4. A combination according to claim 3 in which said arms are rigid with said butter fixed portion.

5. A combination according to claim 3 in which said arms are distinct from said buffer fixed portion.

' 6. A combination according to claim 3, in which said cradle, said rear ends of said arms and said buffer fixed portion are provided with aligned holes, the means for securing said rear ends of said arms and said buffer lixed portion to said cradle consisting of a spindle extending through said holes, said arms being provided with slots extending radially from said holes therein to permit of detaching'saidk arm from said pin by rotation of said arms about the axis of said spindle and translation of saidarrns in a direction parallel to said slots.

7. A combination according to claim 6 in which said ends of said arms are journalled, about the axis Vof said spindle, on said buier fixed portion, the parts of said buffer fixed portion on which said arms are journalled having flat parallelfaces parallel to said axis and capable of passing between the opposite walls of said radial slots.

8. A combination according to claim 1 in which said buffer includes a cylinder carried by one of said buffer portions and a piston carried by the other of said buffer portions and slidably guided in said cylinder, further including Vmeans for mounting said cylinder with a limited swivelling displacement with respect to the element on which it is mounted,

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CRADLE, AN AUTOMATIC GUN HAVING A BREECH CASING SLIDABLE LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID CRADLE, A BUFFER INCLUDING A FIXED PORTION TO BE MOUNTED ON SAID CRADLE AND A MOVABLE PORTION TO BE SECURED TO SAID BREECH CASING, A FEED MECHANISM CARRIER, HOLDING MEANS FOR FIXING SAID CARRIER WITH RESPECT TO SAID CRADLE, SAID CRADLE, SAID BUFFER FIXED PORTION AND SAID HOLDING MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH ALIGNED HOLES, A SPINDLE FOR ENGAGE- 